10.21.2014

a fisherwoman sweater

There's a certain someone in my life who loves big, cozy, chunky, cableknit, aran style, nautical inspired sweaters. (That list of descriptors could go on, but as a knitwear history novice I'm already worried that maybe I have a pair of mutually exclusive words in there.) As the holiday season is approaching, I've decided that Someone has just such a sweater in her future. So now the question is, which one?

As we all know, I'm in love with Brooklyn Tweed patterns, so that was an easy place to start. Options above, clockwise from top left, are: Backbay, Stonecutter, and Exeter. But the true darkhorse in this game is the Holla Knits Henri. I love all the different textures going on in there (not a boring knit, for sure) and the sidewise construction and dolman sleeves intrigue me. The image above is from the almost maniacally prolific Michelle of My So-Called Handmade Life (known as mamatronic on Ravelry). I absolutely adore her version, in a soft merino/alpaca tweed that in her words "push[es] the fluffy, cozy sweater thing to the limit." I could not agree more.

Other up-for-consideration candidates include Kate Osborn's Fargo, Leah Thibault's Honeymaker, and one of the many BT Kids patterns that I'm dying to make in big-kid sizes, the Arlo. Just look at Raverly user Sweetbeanbag's Big Person Arlo - it's perfection.

So, knitterly and non-knitterly folks alike, I need your help. What are your thoughts? Likes, dislikes, any experience with the above patterns or any suggestions for patterns I haven't mentioned here? I'm all ears. After all, December will be here before we know it...

Stonecutter! Everyone is doing Backbay, I would love to see a version of Stonecutter for once. It seems a bit more complicated but so beautiful! Can't wait to see what you'll make anyway, I love your work and the atmosphere of your blog.